Please be sure and let us know when the Hummer arrives…

Left by kw on June 7th, 2007 at 8:40 am

Well, it’s no big deal if any businesses are damaged by rioting - the City Council will pick up the tab. They’re pretty helpful that way recently.

Left by Bill on June 7th, 2007 at 9:11 am

KW — I should probably know what that that means. But I don’t (brain synapses not all hitting this morning).

Left by Robbie on June 7th, 2007 at 9:15 am

Quannel X… aka: the National Informational Minister.

*cough*

Left by kw on June 7th, 2007 at 10:26 am

I’m not as ready as you are to draw conclusions in this case. There have been at least a dozen cop shootings in Travis County in the past 25 or so years, and each case often has eerily similar fact scenarios.

I have no doubt that Austin policeman are confronted with hundreds of black suspects every week without incident. I just wonder why the facts of these shootings are often exactly the same: black suspect with extensive criminal record flees from cop; cop chases him into backyard or vacant lot with no other witnesses present; officer claims to have seen gun, flash of chrome, or simply a “furtive movement”; officer shoots suspect several times, sometimes only in the back; suspect dies immediately, leaving exactly one witness to the incident. Occam’s Razor tells you that this wouldn’t happenas it does in almost every case, that there would at least be some exceptions if the police are responding this way to all fleeing/resistant suspects regardless of their location and ethnicity. Those who have crossed the Thin Blue Line know that overworked street cops often seize on the opportunity to “do society a favor” and rid us all of the blight of such seemingly unredeemable degenrates. It doesn’t just happen on NYPD Blue, it’s human nature. Expect the Feds to be looking into this one pretty closely given this squad’s skecthy record onthe use of force.

Left by Pat Doyle on June 7th, 2007 at 11:14 am

Gee, I wonder if there is another side to the story. Hmmm, let’s see Michael Olsen was already suspended from the force for lying about an incident, and the only reason he got caught was because somebody got it on tape. I wonder how many other times he has lied and got away with it or if he is lying about this incident. Any cop who lies about an incident should be immediately removed from the force. He has lost all credibility in my eyes and I don’t believe a word of his story.

Even if Kevin Brown was a ‘petty thug’ in your eyes, does not mean he deserved to die. We have a society of laws, if you break these laws you stand trial before an impartial judiciary and if found guilty you are punished according to the severity of your crime. You are not chased down and shot repeatedly by a vigilante cop.

The APD has problems, so many that the federal government is getting involved. Two days before this incident the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice announced that they are coming to investigate Austin to “determine whether [the department] is systemically violating constitutional rights, with a focus on the department’s use of force,”

Left by Sammer on June 7th, 2007 at 11:22 am

Pat wrote:

officer claims to have seen gun

Except that a civilian reported to police that he had seen a man with a gun. And a gun was recovered.

According to Occam’s Razor the simplest explanation is that Brown had a gun.

Left by Robbie on June 7th, 2007 at 12:26 pm

Sammer — why is it so easy to overlook the facts of the case?

A witness reported to police that there was a man with a gun. Cops investigate the guy that the witness points out. Guy tussles with cops then flees. Cop says gun was pulled. A gun is recovered.

Or do you really believe that cops run around with extra “bad guy” guns ready to be planted as evidence at a moments notice?

Cops are the good guys (99.99% of the time). Guys like Kevin Brown are the bad guys.

You also write:

Even if Kevin Brown was a ‘petty thug’ in your eyes

Do you not think Kevin Brown, given his extensive criminal record, and his status as an otherwise-unemployed drug dealer, is at the very least a “petty thug” (I personally think he’s well beyond petty thug)?

Left by Robbie on June 7th, 2007 at 12:30 pm

Sammer, there usually are many sides to a story… I don’t live in Austin, nor am I familiar with Olson (other than the links provided).

The incident on 6th Street… I’ve participated in some of the (more legal) debaucheries that accompany alcohol, 6th Street partying, and late nights… if police are trying to control a situation/crowd, I’m going to abort all missions and stage-exit-left.

Any ‘innocent bystander’ should have done the same. The key word there is ‘innocent’, which leaves me to think that bystander had opportunity to leave, but didn’t. So maybe this person wasn’t as ‘innocent’ as he thought.

Come to think of it, I can’t recall too many ‘innocent’ people I’ve ever ran across on 6th Street, figuratively speaking.

The other incident noted in the link involved some yahoo high on cocaine, alcohol (gawd knows what else… usually the ‘fun’ never stops there), and was shooting out car windows. It’s unfortunate that this person died, but come on… look at the obvious menace there.

In either case, I’m sick of hearing about thugs/deceased thugs’ families getting their feelings hurt when their beloved one(s) are out committing crimes and have to endure ‘excessive force’ in lieu of being countered with $10 Starbucks gift card.

Left by kw on June 7th, 2007 at 12:34 pm

Even though I agree with some of your premise, I find it very distasteful for you to have presented the whole ball of wax as if it’s all equal justification for this shooting. For instance: many people would argue that marijuana convictions are BS. Certainly they are when white kids get them.

But more importantly, this part: “If he didn’t have a gun, he wouldn’t have been shot” really calls out to me. Right-wingers like yourself extoll the virtues of carrying guns all the time, constantly proclaiming how law-abiding citizens should and do carry guns, concealed and otherwise, but suddenly when a black guy does it, it’s evidence he’s a criminal?

Left by Anonymous on June 7th, 2007 at 12:41 pm

when law abiding right wingers carry guns, concealed or not, and are told by police to freeze, i submit they usually do. i suspect even more so when they have nothing to hide. hell, i’ld imagine that most would even tell police that they were armed, without making any sudden moves in the hopes of avoiding any possible accidents. maybe i overestimate the common sense of practicing 2nd amendment advocates. i’m no expert.
conceding again a lack of expertise, i wonder why brown ran. i also wonder why he had a gun. his criminal record does definitivly conclude that he was no choir boy and that “petty thug” is a fairly accurate description even witholding judgement for all drug charges.
i’m also curious about olsen’s less than stellar history but have seen nothing in it to suggest he is a murderer, nor have i seen anything that suggests he has a tendancy toward poor judgement. the linked article suggests that olsen was investigated for 3 seperate acts of police misconduct and had his name cleared in 2 of them. the only remaining blemish in this mans employee file entailed his carelessness in not protecting a fellow officers confidential training records. this offense was so serious that it warranted a whole 3 day suspension but it kind of contradicts the whole “thin blue line” assertion put forth by pat d.
unfortunately many americans seem to have trouble siding with police, and constantly remind us of police misconduct. i don’t wish to trivialize how detrimental dirty cops can be but would submit that they are the exception, not the rule.
i tend to be even more concerned about the mentality of those like pat d, sammer and anonymous, who seem to have a propensity toward victimology. sammer contends that olsen is a liar and his lies were caught on tape yet the linked article explicitly says “The charges (against olsen) were later dropped for lack of evidence. ” anonymous finds it “distasteful” that one would present olsens account as justification for the shooting. again i concede an inability to be 100% certain, but if olsens account of the facts is true, then what should he have done? i’m not saying olsen is telling the truth but until evidence prooves he’s not, it seems the shooting was more than justified.
why should we view brown as a victim of anything? because a whole police force has some sporadic fuck ups that may be too frequent? because olsen reports being physical more often than his colleagues report it? because olsen was investigated before? it’s a stretch from these questions to even suggest police misconduct but the culture of victimology in america tells us it’s a conspiracy.
if the facts were as olsen stated, i would have shot him and so would any resonable thinking person.

Left by adam on June 7th, 2007 at 1:58 pm

“when law abiding right wingers carry guns, concealed or not, and are told by police to freeze, i submit they usually do.”

Not at all the point. Robbie tried to use the simple fact that Brown HAD A GUN as contributing evidence for the claim that he was a thug (a claim with which, by the way, I even agree). Logically, therefore, we ought do the same to right-wingers who gleefully proclaim to be packing, right?

Left by M1EK on June 7th, 2007 at 2:34 pm

I am a big fan of the 2nd Amendment. And I’m a big fan for people legally carrying guns in accordance with our federal and state laws.

Those laws allow for registered weapons to be carried by persons with a concealed weapons permit.

I’ll bet if I went down to the Travis County Courthouse and did a Freedom of Information request, I wouldn’t find a permit for Mr. Brown. Because our laws also currently prohibit felons from obtaining and owning a weapon. Another law I’m in favor of.

Your second amendment arguments are strawmen at best.

Left by Robbie on June 7th, 2007 at 2:42 pm

“Except that a civilian reported to police that he had seen a man with a gun. And a gun was recovered. According to Occam’s Razor the simplest explanation is that Brown had a gun.”

That’s some pretty slothful inductive reasoning you’ve done there.

From the Statesman’s account: The gun was found some 20-25 feet away from the victim. People on the scene said Brown was gripping his pants to keep them from falling off as he ran away from the club, and a witness from the nearby apartment complex corroborated that. The cop admitted he never saw a gun. He had been on duty for 14 hours when the shooting occurred.

The simplest explanation is that Brown pitched the gun aside, then Sgt. Olsen saw him pulling at his waistband and overreacted. (Olsen’s got a history of doing that.)

That said, none of the evidence has been fairly evaluated or even accurately reported yet. To arrive at a conclusion now is intellectually lazy reponse, but a predictable one from people held hostage by Magical Thinking.

The burden of proof now lies at the feet of this officer and the City. With the news that Brown was shot twice in the back, it’s looking more like APD’s decision to keep this officer on duty may well cost Austin taxpayers millions of dollars in damages. Good work fellas!

Left by Pat on June 7th, 2007 at 3:22 pm

Multiple gunshot wounds to the back. Nice work officer.

Autopsy Released

Left by Sammer on June 7th, 2007 at 3:35 pm

m1ek,
are you suggesting that via robbie’s logic, we should proclaim anyone carrying a gun to be a thug? i think he pretty much spelled out his views on the 2nd amendment just above. nothing i read suggested that robbie believed brown to be a thug simply over the carrying of the gun. his logic was more violent criminal record + citizen alleges weapon + evading police/brandishing said gun= thug. the recovery of the allegedly possessed gun only supports this logic. browns possession of the gun was roughly a third of the cause for how robbie justified him being shot.

my assertion was that comparing law abiding armed citizens to guys like brown is sesame street silly for some simple reasons. you’ve made no attempt to address any of them. you just say “Not at all the point.” so tell us the point. is brown a victim? maybe your suggesting that “black guys” shouldn’t have to get permits for their guns cause the man hassles them.

the fact is not only that “If he didn’t have a gun, he wouldn’t have been shot”(if that “really called out to you”, your gonna love this)!

if he didn’t have a gun, the reporting citizen would have nothing to report. the police would have no legitimate excuse to question/detain him. he would have no reason to flee and he would be free to return to his pretend life of petty thuggery!

pat, i would like to read more concerning olsen’s history of overreacting.

Left by adam on June 7th, 2007 at 3:54 pm

Adam said:
“pat,
i would be interested in reading more about olsens history of overreacting.”

March 2000: Olsen was involved in the in-custody death of Steven Bernard Scott, who fired shots at a parked car and fought with officers. Olsen was one of the officers who cuffed and tussled with Scott while the suspect continually struggled with police. Scott, who was found to be drunk and high on cocaine, died after the encounter. The death of Scott, who was African American, was ruled accidental, and a Travis County grand jury declined to return indictments against the officers.

June 2002: Olsen was working a disturbance on Sixth Street when he grabbed bystander Jeffrey Thornton, slammed him on the hood of a police car and knocked him to the ground, court documents said. Thornton temporarily lost consciousness and was bleeding from the head. In his incident report, Olsen falsely wrote that Thornton walked close to him, followed him and yelled at him. Olsen was charged with three counts of tampering with a government record and suspended for 60 days without pay. The charges were later dropped for lack of evidence.

January 2007: Olsen was suspended for three days for releasing another police employee’s confidential training records.

Left by Pat on June 7th, 2007 at 4:19 pm

i’m curious about olsen’s less than stellar history but have seen nothing in it to suggest he is a murderer, nor have i seen anything that suggests he has a tendancy toward poor judgement. the linked article suggests that olsen was investigated for 3 seperate acts of police misconduct and had his name cleared in 2 of them. the only remaining blemish in this mans employee file entailed his carelessness in not protecting a fellow officers confidential training records. this offense was so serious that it warranted a whole 3 day suspension.

Left by adam on June 7th, 2007 at 4:29 pm

“Your second amendment arguments are strawmen at best.”

Your initial comment was that the fact that he HAD A GUN was one piece of evidence he was a thug. I found that to be quite interesting, and the dancing around the subject since then to be quite telling. And quite weak, too, since most right-wingers would rather have less, not more, regulation of gun ownership, as far as I can tell.

Left by M1EK on June 7th, 2007 at 4:47 pm

It’s too early and not enough evidence in to know what really happened or whether the gun belonged to the suspect. But one thing’s clear to me from years of APD watching - NEVER believe a word Tom Stribling says after a shooting. He’ll say anything to spin a story during the period when there’s no evidence and it’s impossible to contradict him, then over the next months little by little those initial statements get discredited. He’s a union lawyer representing the accused officer, not an APD official.

Left by Gritsforbreakfast on June 7th, 2007 at 5:31 pm

m1ek,
“Your initial comment was that the fact that he HAD A GUN was one piece of evidence he was a thug.”
wrong. browns possesion of the gun was roughly a third of the cause for how robbie justified him being shot, not why he was a thug.

“most right-wingers would rather have less, not more, regulation of gun ownership, as far as I can tell.”
legitimate “gun ownership”; not gun possesion like the type that seems to have gotten brown shot.

you’re the one dancing my friend.

Left by adam on June 7th, 2007 at 5:57 pm

He’ll say anything to spin a story . . .

Oh, you mean he acts like all defense attys? lol!

Left by kma on June 7th, 2007 at 8:29 pm

The one factor that has been completely left out of the rantings on this page is “Kevin.” You didn’t know him.

My daughter and I knew him since high school. He was a good person and loved his family. Having known him, I believe him to be incapable of shooting anyone.

He died from shots to the “back” from running away (for whatever reason). His life is over and his family’s grief is overwhelming.

Don’t talk about him… let the investigation begin…

Left by Marilyn on June 7th, 2007 at 11:59 pm

I’m sorry Marilyn, but you and people like you are part of the problem.

People like you who call people like Kevin “a good person”, while overlooking his history as a drug dealer, thief, and other lifetime criminal activity.

The problem is that as long as people like you and the countless articles in the Statesman try to paint a picture of Kevin as a model citizen, a fine and decent young man — well, you lower the standard of acceptable behavior from our young men.

You reaffirm to other kids and young men like Kevin that it’s ok to live the thug and gangster life because, “hey, we all still think you’re a good person.”

He wasn’t.

Sure, he might have been a nice guy to you and his friends and family. But we all know how he treats people who “do him wrong” during a drug deal (a good ‘ol fashioned pistol whipping).

Left by Robbie on June 8th, 2007 at 7:59 am

““Your initial comment was that the fact that he HAD A GUN was one piece of evidence he was a thug.”
wrong. browns possesion of the gun was roughly a third of the cause for how robbie justified him being shot,”

Fair enough. So when a right-winger gets shot because he smoked pot a long time ago and was carrying a gun, I can expect you and Robbie to treat the gun-carrying as evidence that he deserved to get shot, too, right?

Or, as I’ve been implying but you’ve been too dense to pick up on, is it possible that you guys love it when white Republicans are packing, but don’t want black guys from East Austin to do it?

Left by M1EK on June 8th, 2007 at 8:30 am

Isn’t all this talk about the guy’s criminal history pointless? Are we to believe that his past crimes entered into the split second decision of the cop to shoot him. But if criminal history is important, let’s not be naive– Olson does not appear to be a choir boy himself.

“According to an internal affairs investigation, Sgt. Olsen had been investigated for using excessive force during an arrest in Downtown Austin. The City of Austin was sued when a bystander was knocked unconscious when Olsen threw him to the ground during an arrest. Olsen served a 60-day suspension for the incident. In 2002, a grand jury also indicted Olsen on three felony counts of tampering with government records.”

I personally tend to veer toward the side that a cop’s safety merits shooting a dangerous suspect, but I don’t have on blinders about this case. I’m curious how people’s opinions will be affected if it comes out (as has been suggested) that the suspect was shot in the back.

Left by Pete on June 8th, 2007 at 9:15 am

M1EK — I like it when a person carries a gun in accordance with local and federal law, regardless of their skin color.

I don’t like it when people illegally carry guns — such as felon like Kevin Brown — regardless of their skin color.

What’s so hard about differentiating between the legal and lawful possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of a firearm?

You do know that they’re not the same thing, right?

Left by Robbie on June 8th, 2007 at 10:02 am

I’m curious how people’s opinions will be affected if it comes out (as has been suggested) that the suspect was shot in the back.

If Kevin Brown’s finger prints are on that gun, and the officer says that he believes he saw Brown pull that weapon, then I won’t care where or how many times the officer shot Mr. Brown.

If however, it can be proven that the gun recovered a mere 25′ from Brown’s body was not his AND he was shot in the back — then I’ll reconsider my opinion.

Left by Robbie on June 8th, 2007 at 10:05 am

“What’s so hard about differentiating between the legal and lawful possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of a firearm?”

It’s not hard at all. You didn’t do it in your original post. It shows a curious lack of care, or, perhaps, a window into a particular sort of thinking.

Left by M1EK on June 8th, 2007 at 10:42 am

The fact is if you are a criminal or not, live in Austin and you are black, you will be killed if you run from the police. I know there are some white criminals with evading arrest on their rap sheets but the difference in their case and Kevins is that they are white and they are still alive!

Left by Shawn on June 8th, 2007 at 11:08 am

You know, Shawn, not running from the police is always an option.

Left by Robbie on June 8th, 2007 at 11:22 am

“If Kevin Brown’s finger prints are on that gun, and the officer says that he believes he saw Brown pull that weapon, then I won’t care where or how many times the officer shot Mr. Brown.”

You do realize that this particular cop has been in big trouble for lying about an arrest before, right?

Left by M1EK on June 8th, 2007 at 12:13 pm

i think it offers “a window into a particular sort of thinking” when folks review & closely critique the disciplinary action of a public servant who hasn’t been convicted of anything, ever instead of accepting that dumbass thugs that run from cops while illegaly carrying guns are at a particularly high risk of getting killed.

Left by adam on June 8th, 2007 at 12:33 pm

“So when a right-winger gets shot because he smoked pot a long time ago and was carrying a gun, I can expect you and Robbie to treat the gun-carrying as evidence that he deserved to get shot, too, right? ”

pop quiz: genius of the century award to the person with the correct answer!

what’s the difference between “a right-winger (who) gets shot because he smoked pot a long time ago while carrying a gun and kevin brown?
c’mon on all you physicists and rocket scientists; we need you on this one! marilyn, we’re counting on your expertise here! pete, shawn, m1ek: you victim’s rights advocates should have the answer.

Left by adam on June 8th, 2007 at 12:40 pm

Adam,

As long as we’re having a quiz, point to me the language in the ORIGINAL POST which declares that Brown wouldn’t have got shot if only the gun he was carrying was legally permitted.

Thinly veiled racism like that is repugnant. Y’all COULD just disavow it and say “sorry, was using shorthand”, but instead you’ve tried to dance around the issue. I’m not buying it - what could have been viewed as an honest mistake or a well-intentioned shortening has now become fairly strong evidence to me of simple bull-headed racism.

Left by M1EK on June 8th, 2007 at 2:06 pm

Robbie, you are right. Not running from the police is always an option but you forgot to add that running is a death sentence. Im not going to try to justify Kevin’s past actions, his criminal record or what he was doing that night. I will say that APD has a problem. The U.S. Justice Department suspects it. Austinites fear it and Kevin Brown’s family KNOW it.

Left by Shawn on June 8th, 2007 at 4:07 pm

internet tough guys throw around loose assertions and often have no point. what’s yours?
“point to me the language in the ORIGINAL POST which declares that Brown wouldn’t have got shot if only the gun he was carrying was legally permitted.”
why, it’s a moot point and i never claimed it. i said him having a gun and being repoted having it didn’t help the situation.

what statements precisely even imply a “thinly veiled or a bull headed racism?” i disavow your unfounded accusations as well as the assumptions of foul play. “innocent until proven guilty” is what I want not only for brown but for olsen too (proof being the operative root word). i told you, you’re the one dancin.

forget the quiz, let’s ask real questions:
-why should we remember brown as anything but a thug?
-doesn’t his criminal record confirm it?
- would you have me believe he was a poor innocent soul running from the big bad police at 4am outside of a bar and after killing him those cops planted a gun at the scene?
-why do you assume that i don’t want olsen and the evidence thoroughly investigated?
what exactly is the point of your posts?

if olsen and brown are proven to have known eachother, then i’ll be skeptical of the apd on this one but am i supposed to believe that this cop just murdured brown because he was black? shouldn’t evidence of a racist tendancy by olsen need to be present before that is even suggested?

if what i said is racism to you, then your simply ignorant. if you want to believe in unfounded theories of how people are killed, that’s your problem. your instinctive inclination toward victimology is pathetic.

Left by adam on June 8th, 2007 at 4:10 pm

“i said him having a gun and being repoted having it didn’t help the situation.”

And I asked, essentially, why wouldn’t it also not help the situation for a suburban white Republican?

If you right-wingers really believe your own talking points - and there’s nothing more noble than packing a weapon, why on earth would you say that him having a gun didn’t help the situation (again, not knowing and definitely not SAYING anything about the gun’s legality)? Unless, of course, you meant that only white dudes in the suburbs should have the guns.

Left by M1EK on June 8th, 2007 at 4:38 pm

i think you may be a victim

Left by Anonymous on June 9th, 2007 at 1:02 am

i see some of these comments posted and they explain the reason KEVIN bROWN WAS SHOT. Its because there is no respect for a black person, we might as well be trash to some of u and that is why he was shot.

Left by april on June 9th, 2007 at 4:55 am

you white folks are idiots, the reason this guy was shot and killed, is the same reason you guys have posted such ignorant comments. There is no respect for blacks and we are treated like trash. All u can focus is on a criminal history. Which is not enough to give reason why this man was shot. Just excuse. GRow up, cause nothing can justify a man getting shot in the back as he ran.

Left by april on June 9th, 2007 at 5:00 am

If you right-wingers really believe your own talking points - and there’s nothing more noble than packing a weapon,

Big difference between legally carrying a gun for self-protection and illegally carrying a gun to facilitate drug deals and using it to beat someone when the deal goes south.

Left by kma on June 9th, 2007 at 11:00 am

m1ek,
“And I asked, essentially, why wouldn’t it also not help the situation for a suburban white Republican?”
it may not help but as i’ve already said…when law abiding right wingers carry guns, concealed or not, and are told by police to freeze, i submit they usually do. i suspect even more so when they have nothing to hide. hell, i’ld imagine that most would even tell police that they were armed, without making any sudden moves in the hopes of avoiding any possible accidents.
the fact that you interject “white” only further supports the notion that you can’t see this as anything but a black/white issue. did it ever occur to you pc -spewin, bleeding-hearts that it was simply a safety issue for the cop? just a thought, being as how the outlined evidence seems to suggest it. i’m not recommending jumping to conclusions but isn’t it also a little premature to call sharpton and jackson for the typical race hustle and shakedown?

april,

“i see some of these comments posted and they explain the reason KEVIN bROWN WAS SHOT. ”
really; they do? why? which comments, victim? or are you to busy blaming the man for your problems that you can’t cut and paste a quote? you made a claim; back it up with proof. vague accusations and unfounded statements only offer further evidence that you aren’t interested in informed discourse. you only seem to want to scream racism and then go back to being a victim. you too, pathetic!

“”Its because there is no respect for a black person, we might as well be trash to some of u and that is why he was shot.”
what did you read, specifically that’s proof of this? again, too busy, huh? you poor victim!

“you white folks are idiots”
now who’s a racist?

” There is no respect for blacks and we are treated like trash.”
poor victim; i’ll get you a tissue.

“All u can focus is on a criminal history.”
& the cops safety & the safety of the public & brown being reported to have a gun & him ignoring/fleeing police when asked about the alleged gun & him reaching for or possibly even brandeshing the gun

“Which is not enough to give reason why this man was shot. Just excuse. GRow up, cause nothing can justify a man getting shot in the back as he ran.”
really? is olsen justified in fatally shooting brown in the back if…
olsen’s version is correct?
-brown was reported to have a gun
-brown refused to cooperate with law enforcement
-brown fled from police
-police witnessed what they viewed as brown reaching for a weapon during their pursuit

i don’t know what fantasy land you live in but this sounds to be pretty justified self defense to me or worst case scenario a fatal mistake by brown!

Left by Anonymous on June 9th, 2007 at 11:58 am

All I can say is “Wow, you are saying things that absolutely no one else is saying”. You are no doubt just an idiot spreading lies. Even APD is saying that they have no proof that Kevin Brown pulled a gun on the officer. So we are to believe that you know what really happened. Take a good look at yourself and ask yourself why and when did you become such a racist person. It is never to late to change.

Left by LARRY on June 9th, 2007 at 12:07 pm

For the people simply brushing off Officers Olsen’s past because of the lack of convictions, please view this decently put together documentary that specifically addresses the Jeffrey Thorton case, and please listen to the audio several times, and if you want, watch the video of the incident too in the second portion. It really shows the disgusting overreaction of Olsen’s reactions, and how horribly he responds to the incident. I’m a white girl that’s never done anything wrong, but I’ve been on the wrong side of the APD before and had the shit scared out of me as they swarmed my car and slammed my window with their batons. I know they deal with shitty people all day, but a sense of humanity should approach almost every suspect they come across if they want the community to be on their side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8O9Y6nhv5s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5498yR5WXC8

Left by Noël on June 9th, 2007 at 12:32 pm

larry,
“You are no doubt just an idiot spreading lies.”
quote 1; or are you just another internet tough guy, jumps into comment from a limited perspective? name calling tends to mean no point and sketchy disposition.

“Even APD is saying that they have no proof that Kevin Brown pulled a gun on the officer.”
i never claimed otherwise. i suggested it’s quite likely that the officer may have believed he was in danger.

“So we are to believe that you know what really happened.”
no

“Take a good look at yourself and ask yourself why and when did you become such a racist person.”
no thanks. why don’t you take a look at yourself and figure out what a racist is, then maybe ask yourself what about accusing others of bigotry gets you off?

“It is never to late to change.”
thanks for the reminder; i’ll watch for more of the story and let you know.

noel,

“a sense of humanity should approach almost every suspect they come across if they want the community to be on their side.”
i think i agree but i’m not positive. that said, when your life is potentially in danger, self defense can be instictive and often miscalculated. add to that, a sworn duty to protect the public and we’re at least discussing a situation that’s accident proan (at least).

for those that incist on calling me a racist, please try and support that via quote because it’s not easy to defend broad eager victim-like tendancies. shouldn’t you folks be trying a little harder not to be offended?

Left by adam on June 9th, 2007 at 10:22 pm

It is wrong for a cop to shoot someone in the back who is running away- no matter who the person is.

The fact that Kevin was a black gangster-looking guy wearing red probably sparked fear in the cop and made him more likely to shoot.

This is the subconscious racism that cops and others need to get over. The atmosphere and crowd in a club like Chester’s makes alot of white people uncomfortable out of unfounded fear of young black people. Cops like Olsen need to understand that an attitude of respect will most often lead to a peaceful solution. Too much fear causes violent overreactions.

I know the debate is going to reduce to character analysis- but that isn’t the point. A cop shouldn’t shoot a running suspect in the back.

RIP Kevin Brown. I wish you didn’t die. Another senseless death.

Left by Ama on June 10th, 2007 at 4:52 pm

it’s easy to talk about kevin’s background but when you guys do! dont forget to bring up officer Olsen’s background too,and think about if the cop was black and the victom was white, and from your neck of the woods would you feel the same? RIP Kevin i know your family,friends,and son will miss you.

Left by young blkmale on June 10th, 2007 at 8:45 pm

Somehow I don’t think Kevin’s son saw much of him since he didn’t have the common sense to marry his mother and was running around on the streets at 4:00 am.

Left by kma on June 11th, 2007 at 7:48 am

Kevin made the choice to break the law… this thug didn’t give a rat’s ass about his son or his family.

Left by kw on June 11th, 2007 at 12:21 pm

I think Austin’s black community lost all credibility after the Sophia King shooting. Here was a woman in the act of plunging a knife into the chest of an innocent civilian. Officer John Coffey gets on scene and shoots her with one shot while King was on top of this civilian with the knife raised.

The response of the black community? The same outrage and name calling you see everytime an officer is forced to shoot a minority. There was no acknowledgement that Coffey was a hero and saved a life. Instead, the NAACP decided to protest weekly in front of APD HQ about police brutality.

Give me a break. The King shooting was a textbook good shoot and if they can’t acknowledge this, then they will never accept any police shooting.

Left by Johnny on June 11th, 2007 at 1:32 pm

ama,
“It is wrong for a cop to shoot someone in the back who is running away- no matter who the person is.”
even if that person goes for a gun to shoot back at police?

” The fact that Kevin was a black gangster-looking guy wearing red probably sparked fear in the cop and made him more likely to shoot. This is the subconscious racism that cops and others need to get over. ”
insightful, why didn’t i think of this? dirty ole’ fuckin racist white people!

“The atmosphere and crowd in a club like Chester’s makes alot of white people uncomfortable out of unfounded fear of young black people.”
what? so if i see some “black gangster looking kids wearing red”, i should think they’re just regular people and pose no threat? why does someone who isn’t a gangster want to look like one? either way, thanks for helping me understanding “alot of white people.”

“Cops like Olsen need to understand that an attitude of respect will most often lead to a peaceful solution.”
pretendathugs like brown need to understand that carrying weapons, running from cops, and generally acting like an idiot most often lead to dangerous situations that are accident prone.

“Too much fear causes violent overreactions. ”
viewing oneself as a victim, sketchy behavior, & a lack of common sense cause police investigations.

young blkmale,

nice name!

“dont forget to bring up officer Olsen’s background too,and think about if the cop was black and the victom was white, and from your neck of the woods would you feel the same?”
we did & yes.

fuck, what is wrong with you victims?

Left by adam on June 11th, 2007 at 4:15 pm

all of you are forgetting one thing:regardless of who is in the wrong (and i do say it’s the police) there is still a family grieving. It’s not there fault that Kevin was who he was. They still lost a loved one. And all of your comments are definitely not making it easier to cope. What is one of your family members robbed a bank and got shot in the process? you would still mourn their passing. Let Kevin rest in peace. And to all of you who think it’s not possible to be a good person and a drug dealer think again. not all strippers are whores. everyone has a heart.

Left by KevinsFriend on June 16th, 2007 at 12:18 am

Ama:
Would it still turn out to be wrong for Olsen to have shot Brown if it turned out that an hour earlier he had killed someone with that gun behind Chester’s?

Left by John D on June 17th, 2007 at 9:54 pm

Man I Miss My Uncle Kevin Brown… Man He Had Only Been Out Of Jail Not Even A Year… But God Was Calling 4 Him And We Cant Stop Dat… But Dat Olsen Guy Is Going To Get His…

Left by Samira on June 21st, 2007 at 6:53 pm

So, Samira — why was your uncle running from police? Why was he carrying a gun? Why was he a low level drug dealer? Why did he think the laws of our society didn’t apply to him?

Officer Olsen “going to get his? Whatever.

Left by Robbie on June 21st, 2007 at 11:27 pm

Garden Lover…

Hey, this is not completely true, if you do a search in Google you will see why i say that….

Left by Garden Lover on February 15th, 2008 at 1:07 am